SARATOGA SPRINGS -- The city's Democrats have new leadership after the 40 committee members unanimously elected a new executive committee and chairman.

Charles Brown was elected chairman of the committee Sept. 29, stepping into the vacancy that was created when Thilo Ullman resigned earlier this spring and moved across the country.

Brown said while the chair and first vice chair positions were vacant, Second Vice Chairman George Cain stepped up "and sort of held us together while we got to our next round of elections."

The city's Democratic Party has been fractured and factionalized in recent years, but Brown said the executive committee has worked to mend those cracks over the last several months.

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"We're trying to find a way to bring us as close together as we can and focus on our common goals," he said.

Brown said the Democrats have "covered a lot of ground" after working to unify and reorganize some of the committee's procedural issues.

He pointed to the fact that the vote to elect the committee's officers was unanimous. "That hasn't happened in at least the last 10 years," he said.

Brown, though, said the committee's focus will now turn to getting its candidates elected.

The committee meeting in which Brown was elected featured keynote speaker Paul Tonko, the congressman running for the 20th Congressional District which, since the redistricting, represents Saratoga Springs.

Also elected at the meeting was Peter Martin, who was elected to the vice chair position. Cain retained his second vice chair position, and Jaye Kuczynski was elected third vice chair. The treasurer is Jeffrey Partridge and the secretary is Cindy Corbett.